Jean Grey
Jean Grey, also known as Phoenix, is a member of the X-Men and science teacher at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters. Background Born to John and Elaine Grey, Jean Grey is their second child, and sister of Sara Grey. Growing up, Jean's childhood was pretty typical; her family was not perfect, but overall it was a loving, caring household. That all came to a crashing halt when, at barely ten years old, Jean's best friend Annie was hit by a speeding driver. Annie never saw the car coming, and the driver never saw her. Jean held her friend in her arms as Annie was dying. It was in that instant that Jean's X-Gene went active. She felt Annie dying, and despite her efforts to protect Annie's soul from the darkness, there was nothing she could do to prevent her friend's death. After the traumatic experience, and constantly bombarded by 'voices' that she couldn't shut out, Jean withdrew into herself. She rarely spoke, and never unless she was addressed first. If left to herself, she would do nothing but sit and endlessly write in a diary that she hid if she didn't have it with her. She wouldn't eat, or dress herself unless her mother or sister made her. Then, Jean's uncontrolled telekinesis began to manifest as a 'poltergeist', which attacked her and those around her. Professor and Mrs. Grey were at their wits end, and on the verge of sending Jean to an institution when Jean's savior arrived; Professor Charles Xavier, having sensed Jean's incredible powers and her desperate situation, came to the rescue. He began by placing mental blocks to shield her against the invading 'mind-noise' and eased the pain and memories of Annie's loss, making them less her own so that she was able to disconnect. Jean was brought out of her near-catatonic state and thus was she to become the first student at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The school was a wonderful, amazing experience for Jean. Working with the Professor, she was able to come more naturally into her powers, to train and refine them. With the Professor's help, she learned control and over time, the locks Xavier placed in her mind were removed or overcome as Jean honed her abilities. As new students arrived, Jean did her best to welcome them and make them feel at ease while becoming used to the school. She bonded with the other students and formed lasting, deep friendships that shaped her into the confident woman she became. Jean excelled in training her powers, but she truly shone when it came to academics. She graduated from high school early and went on to attend college, though she always spent her weekends at the mansion as it provided her with a much needed break from the craziness of college life. College graduation came quickly, and after that, it was time for Jean to bid New York adieu and went west to study at Stanford University Hospital. Her residency finished, and Jean found herself on the first flight back to Westchester. She has taken up a position with the school as a professor, and has become a major advocate for mutants rights and equality. She has spoken in front of the Senate, Parliament, and a dozen other governing bodies in a dozen other countries. Prejudices remain, of course, but she fights hard and hopes to someday see mutants and humans living together peacefully. Personality Loving: Jean has an incredible capacity for love, and this is one of her most important personality traits. It is one of the things that make Jean undoubtedly Jean-ish. It isn't that she loves her family, friends, and those at the school; it's that she loves life, and she loves humanity. She has such grand hopes for /people/, and despite some of the more horrific things she's witnessed, she still has hope and love in her heart. There is nothing she would not do for what she loves, even if it means sacrificing herself to ensure the safety of that which she holds dear. Determined: Some might call it pure stubbornness -- and they wouldn't exactly be wrong -- but Jean prefers to think of herself as determined. Driven. Feisty. She doesn't take crap from anyone (not /even/ Scott Summers), and when she has something to say she is not afraid to speak up. Jean might know when she is beaten, but she doesn't know when to stay down and give up. Idealist: Jean is an idealist to the core. She truly and deeply believes in Charles Xavier's dream of equality for mutants, and that someday in the very near future, mutants can live and progress peacefully with non-mutants. Selfless: Jean is naturally selfless, always giving and genuinely concerned about the welfare and happiness of not only those nearest and dearest, but humanity as a whole. She is the type that would give her last dollar to someone in need, or do without lunch in order to feed someone less fortunate to herself. However, this all keeps Jean rather too busy to look after her own self, so she sometimes suffers because of it. Soft-Hearted: Anyone with a sob story or just needs a little help to get them through gets Jean all tender-hearted and wanting to help. She is the sort of person who can't resist bringing home a lost or stray animal and trying to find it a good home. The problem is that this drives her to try and reach out, even when it puts her in danger. Sometimes, she just can't see the forest for the trees. Wild Streak: Perhaps it's a red-head thing, but Jean Grey, despite what some might think, has a wild streak in her. There's a part of her that just craves the freedom of breaking convention and going a little crazy. She loves fast cars, or riding on the back of a motorcycle that's taking curves way too fast. There are times when she even revels in the exhilaration of using her powers in combat, which becomes especially dangerous when she's pushing her limits. Powers Jean Grey is an Omega-level telepathic and telekinetic mutant. Through years of training, she has mastered her abilities, though she sometimes struggles with her own self control. Her telepathy allows her to 'hear', control, influence, and communicate with the minds of others. She can create mental shields, for herself and extended to others, to protect her mind and others. Jean is one of the few who are able to communicate with highly intelligence animals (such as dolphins, dogs, and ravens). She is able to generate psychic force blasts that can stun, or even kill. Through her telepathy, she is able to create 'psychic illusions', effectively able to take away or control the senses of others, and can affect their mutant powers. With her telepathic abilities comes a degree of empathy, as well as the ability to project her mind into the astral plane. Her telekinetic abilities, strength, and control are such that she is able to perform complex actions, from the extremely delicate (putting together a jigsaw puzzle in mid-air) to the more brutish application of sheer force -- such as bashing through a steel bulkhead. Her maximum 'lifting' capability is about 6400 tons, though it would take every ounce of her concentration to perform such a feat, leaving her completely defenseless. She can create telekinetic shields and energy blasts. Through a mix of telepathy and telekinesis, Jean is able to manifest an aura of a large firebird whose claws are able to inflict mental and physical damage. Skills Jean is well-educated, having received her medical doctorate from Stanford, and holds a minor degree in psychology. After college, she took up a position at the Xavier Institute as a biology professor. Since coming to the Institute as a child herself, and training with the X-Men, she has picked up some martial arts and self defense training, but she relies primarily on her mental abilities over her physical ones. She is fairly adept at computers, but isn't about to try and hack anything. She is an excellent public speaker, and has given presentations in front of various government bodies, in several countries, in defense of mutant rights. She's also a former model, so she can strike a pose and beam with the best of them. Boons As a long-time and original member of the X-Men, Jean Grey has access to all of the resources it has to offer. She has been trained in the use of Cerebro, though she finds the great room rather daunting and mostly leaves that to the Professor. Flaws Due to a combination of factors -- her traumatic childhood experiences combined with the constant, low-level telepathic 'buzz' from nearby minds -- Jean suffers from insomnia. She finds it very difficult o fall asleep and stay asleep. Once she does manage to find slumber, she usually only manages to get about an hour or two of rest before waking and then struggling to fall back asleep. On average, she gets about six hours a night if she's lucky. Jean is a passionate advocate for mutant rights and equality. This has made her somewhat of a public figure, and while many might not recognize her on the street, they've probably heard or read her name in the paper (if they follow such things). Self control is a bit of an issue for Jean. It isn't that she can't control her powers, it is that she enjoys using them so very much, that she sometimes has trouble controlling herself. If her emotions are running high -- anger and pain are notorious triggers -- and she can't get a lid on them, she could go overboard. Logs Including Jean Grey 2010-07-18: Mechs Over Manhattan: Jean's shopping day is ruined when giant robots attack, and she runs into a stranger with a familiar face. Guest-starring Zandra Thorne! 2010-07-24: Welcome Home, Alex: Jean and Nocturne welcome Havok back to the Mansion. 2010-07-29: Assemblies Clash: Jean and other X-Men attempt to stop twin protests from turning violent, and encounters a mysterious stranger. 2010-07-30: Inside a Jean Mind: Jean gets some help remembering the mysterious gunman 2010-08-16: One Summers Too Far: Jean meets her daughter; also, learns she's a mother 2010-08-18: Squared Bishop: Jean and Scott finally track down Bishop 2010-08-20: Future Politics: Jean learns more about Bishop's plan, and how grave the stakes are becoming 2010-08-24:Place Your Bets Jean, Alex, and Logan head down to Harry's for drinks and a game of pool. Bets and placed and challenges are set. 2010-08-27:Poolside Encounters Alex, Jean & Scott meet up with the Stepford Cuckoos at the mansion's pool. Category:Taken Feature Character Category:X-Men